The Internet is gaining ground every day. An increase in users is paving the way for more and more online business opportunities as consumer and business-to-business sales increase and customers demand a higher level of service. As the Internet becomes more and more a part of everyday life, it is important to make sure your company has a strong, online presence that allows customers to easily find information and use your services.
The following key Internet success strategies can make your website work for your business. We demonstrate how one business (www.paperdaisy.com.au) applied these strategies to its site.
1. Plan Your Website Thoroughly and Revisit Your Plan
You should try to be brief, but thorough (about one page per area). Sections to consider: the website purpose, sales goals, customer profile, website overview, website design, look and feel, promotions and action (put the site up). the above will help to ensure maximum Internet success. Paper Daisy researched costs involved, major competitors (e.g. www.marthastewart.com) and how many Australians are using credit cards to purchase items on the Web. With this knowledge the company redesigned its website to launch a detailed product catalogue in its two best performing ranges and invested the other money in setting up e-commerce facilities.
2. Use Headlines to Attract Traffic to Your Site
Brainstorming sessions are crucial for developing the right headline. Paper Daisy had many ideas from the competitive ‘Move over Martha’ to a more friendly and final selection -‘The Craft Store That Grows On You!’
Headlines create curiosity and define who you are and what is unique about your business. When someone visits your website, you only have 12 seconds to grab their attention and convince them to explore further. Recall the last newspaper you read and how headlines encouraged you to read some articles and scan over others.
3. Use and Improve Your Marketplace Perception
Your company’s Internet domain name should be selected carefully. It will be your identification and ‘branding’ on the Web and it is therefore important to let it work to your advantage. Let it help to identify your company, products and services. It’s important to keep your domain short and simple so that people can easily remember it. (i.e. 8-16 letters or characters). Paper Daisy selected www.paperdaisy.com.au as it is Australian-based and this is the full company name. Another ABN member recently had the experience of having to rebrand its product simply because the domain name was taken. It now has several domain names secured including its main name www.wyldforwomen.com.au.
4. Create a ‘Virtual Community’
On your website not only does the Internet allow you to provide visitors with information, it allows you to interact with them or to create a ‘virtual community’ (a group of people in cyberspace that share common interests). Paper Daisy has identified two ways – one is a monthly ‘how to’ for making creative homemade crafts guide; the other is an FAQ section on handy hints.
5. Use Search Engines to Generate Traffic to Your Website
Tips to get your website listed at the top of Search Engine results:
- Focus on how customers will search for your company. Include the most important keywords.
- Write good page titles and page descriptions for every section of your website. Search Engines focus heavily on the titles, so choose your words carefully.
